Tracy Idell Hamilton: let the lobbying begin

We’ve got a packed courtroom here at Bexar County Commissioners Court, with venue tax committee members and river boosters — yes, often the same people — waiting for their chance to lobby the court for the full $125 million they say is necessary to complete the San Antonio River Improvements Project.

After the river, the amateur sports folks will make their case, followed by cultural arts and the community arena and grounds, i.e. the AT&T Center, this afternoon.

The sports folks should have the easiest time, since they stayed at $75 million like County Judge Nelson Wolff so kindly asked.

Commissioner Paul Elizondo points out that the Spurs request is also at $75 million, but the commish also wants to give another $25 million to the grounds, to show the community that this isn’t just about giving the Spurs a big handout.

The $64,000 question, of course, is how much the county will be able to raise in bonds. If it can only get $400 million, for example, all the lobbying in the world won’t matter — something is going to get cut.

My big questions: how, and where, will commissioners will make their final decisions? They can’t make a recommendation today, because ostensibly they’re just hearing these presenations — and they won’t know how much they have to play with until Jan. 3. Will they make decisions at that meeting? Must they do all their deliberations in public? And how does the negotiations with the Spurs affect those deliberations? Are the results of that negotiation immutable?

This is the first time any county in the state has done anything like this, so everyone is feeling their way.